Mascarpone is my friend. Caramelizing apricots and want your people to refer to you in casual conversation as the goddess of apricots? Put a little dollop of mascarpone on the side. Chicken got you down? Season some chicken breasts (bone in, skin on and Frenched–we’ll talk about that some other time) and then sear them in a heavy frying pan with a little olive oil until a gorgeous deep golden brown. Let them cool a bit, and then make a slit along the top side of the skin with a sharp knife so that you can stuff in a mixture of mascarpone, finely minced raw garlic, fresh lemon zest (no pith), a little fresh parsley and a little fresh rosemary. Finish the breasts in the oven at 400 degrees until just done, which should be between 155 and 160 degrees. I even stop at 150.
We had those last night. We started with a mushroom risotto that Ms. Esther stirred her heart and soul into, all saved up from breathing in the Italian country side. Then the chicken with mascarpone–pouring the pan juices over the chicken and serving it alongside braised carrots finished in a pan of the earth’s best olive oil, a little garlic and parsely. On the side we had bruschetta with nothing more than olive oil and salt. For dessert, we put the caramelized apricots (and peaches) on top of a shortbread crust.
Today half the group was off to Florence, and the other half to Siena, and tonight to the Villa behind the stone wall.